1. Technical Field
This application is a divisional of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/470,045 filed Aug. 27, 2014, which claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/239,790 filed Sep. 22, 2011, and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-211601 filed Sep. 22, 2010, each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
2. Related Art
POS systems, which are a type of sales management system, are commonly used in supermarkets and other retail stores. The POS server and plural POS terminals (registers) of a POS system are connected over a network, and each operates and runs specific processes based on the applications installed in each device. A printer is normally connected to each POS terminal, and outputs receipts and coupons as instructed by the application. Systems that are architecturally similar to POS systems and output information in various forms are also deployed in businesses such as hospitals and shipping companies.
Adding new functions and replacing system components is often necessary in such systems as technology improves and business needs change, but because such systems are usually central to business operations, and are connected to other systems in complex ways, modifying the applications that are used is not easy.
To address this problem as it relates to output process functions, Japanese Unexamined Patent Appl. Pub. JP-A-H08-69427 teaches a device that renders a modem function in a personal computer that can eliminate the microprocessor and memory required in a conventional modem without needing to modify the existing application program.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Appl. Pub. JP-A-2006-338443 teaches a device that can access one communication port and cause a printer connected to another communication port to simultaneously print a duplicate copy without modifying the application program.
JP-A-H08-69427 and JP-A-2006-338443 only address limited output system functions such as the modem and a duplicate printing function, however, and do not address many other needs. In addition, because JP-A-2006-338443 operates at the operating system kernel level, constructing new functions (program development) is not generally easy and function is limited.
There is also a desire to add marketing value to receipts in existing POS systems by, for example, outputting coupons or advertisements to the receipts printed by the POS system.